Birthday Dreams Come True....

 

I cannot believe it...but our little Rooster is now 16!!!

How did that happen? He is growing alot right now, he is taller than his Mom...

and is hoping to grow more. He is perfectly darling in every way;)

He has the most perfect thick curly hair...he has a smile that melts a heart

and a twinkle in his eye that gets him out of most trouble that he finds himself in!;)

The Rooster is a great friend to all. I love it that when he has friends over,

he is quick to take them into the kitchen and make sure they have something to eat.

When he had his recent surgery...our home filled with his friends and school mates,

making sure that The Rooster was going to be ok! It was a sweet sight.

 

The Rooster's requests for his birthday gifts weren't too complicated.

He wanted a new XBox...his was having problems... a knife to add to his collection...

a new pair of shoes and some jerky...and last, but certainly not least...

he said he NEEDED a Duck Call from Duck Dynasty. Easy enough!!!

But The Farmer had something up his sleeve....

 

Several months ago, The Farmer and The Rooster decided to enter the draw for the

Fall Elk Hunt in New Mexico. The Farmer told The Rooster is was unlikely that they

would be chosen...as some people enter every year and are never chosen.

He cautioned The Rooster not to get his hope up. Well...almost daily The Rooster

asked The Farmer if he had heard if they had been drawn...and again...

each day The Farmer would answer..."Don't get your hopes up My Rooster!"

A few weeks ago, while we were traveling The Farmer got the notice that they had

actually been drawn for the Elk Hunt, but quickly decided to save it as a birthday

surprise for the Young Rooster. The Farmer went to the local sportsman store and

purchased an Elk call and hid it away for the right birthday moment.

 

After The Rooster had opened his obvious gifts...the ones in the

center of the dining room table...

The Farmer presented him with one more...

 

He opened the gift...read the note...paused while the little cogs began to turn;)...

and then he realized what it all meant and let out a big 16 year old scream!!

It was priceless!!!

 

You don't get alot of moments like that one...when you have teenagers...

so it was extra fun!! Even though the hunt is months away...he is planning and plotting...

and preparing. The Rooster topped off is amazing day with having his friends

over to cook some steaks, drink some sodas...and play a little XBox...

what more could you ask for when you turn 16???

Missionary Monday....

She's All Grown Up......Sigh......

 

This week we made a very quick trip to Mesa. PreShie needed to visit the Orthodontist...

and even more important...she needed to have her Senior pictures taken.

Preshie's Aunt Kim is an amazing photographer...one of her great talents...I think...

is that she is able to capture the personality of her subjects.

  I love every picture that she has taken of The Darlings!

 

Here's to our Precious...(PreShie)...she has BIG plans for her future.

  And I am very sure she will accomplish every goal she has set.

 It is off to Utah State for her in the Fall... and after a semester...a mission.

 I love that she knows what she wants...and isn't afraid to dream big.

Oh how we love our PreShie Girl!!

 

 

Mother's Day.....Weekend.....

 

One of the perks of living in Mexico is Mother's Day. Mother's Day in Mexico and Mother's Day in the US are on different days...and that means a weekend long celebration!!!

Mother's Day in Mexico is a very very big deal!!

Our celebrations began with a quick trip to El Paso...

While there....The Farmer purchased a small gift...something I had been wanting

since The Brotherhood made a trip to The Ranch during Spring Break....

I LOVE it!!!...by the way!

 

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Saturday we awoke to the sound of the phone ringing...it was the Missionary Boy..

.calling to let us know what time we would be Skyping on Mother's Day.

 He had 30 minutes to talk...and it was wonderful!!!

 To hear his voice was the best!

 

PreShie made me a whole plate of chocolate covered strawberries...

which were divine!

 

 

We have been trying to finish up some work on our house...and I have been waiting for this for a very long time! Mother's Day weekend...it was nearly done!!! Another great gift!

 

 

Sunday morning...The Farmer return home from his early morning meeting... ready to talk to The Missionary Boy...as he came in...he had a funny look on his face...when I asked what was wrong...he held up his cel. phone which had a picture on it...the baby bull calf...Ramses... had been born!!! We weren't expecting that to happen for awhile... A very fun Mother's Day gift!

 

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The very very best part of Mother's Day was talking to the Missionary Boy!

 He will be home in four short months...I can hardly believe it!! He sounded great! We laughed...we cried...we talked about this incredible experience that has been his...the mission. We talked about what he has learned...his testimony...and how it breaks he heart to think if leaving a place he has loves. It's the people he loves...it is hard to leave those you have served.

 It was an incredible day!! We attended church in a small branch that is patiently waiting for their new small building to be completed. Right now they meet in a very small home, that isn't meant to be a church. What special people they are.

 We returned home to a wonderful meal, prepared by the men in the family.

Mother's Day weekend...was very very nice!!

You Must Have A Pinata....

 

When The Farmer's Easter Egg Hunt was done... It was time for the Pinata!!

 

 

Quickly we realized that we hadn't gotten the stick that is used to hit the Pinata.

"No worries...."said The Farmer...

and Uncle Ping began to carve a Pinata stick from a branch from a nearby peach tree.

 While he was working hard on the stick... Uncle C. found the perfect

 "pinata stick" in the back of his truck....

 

The Cousins lined up....youngest to oldest...ready to beat the pinata in hopes of alot of candy!!

 

 

The Farmer and his brothers..."worked hard" to hang the pinata...

 

As always...the pinata really is the end to a perfect party... the cousins left The Farm....LOADED with candy... Another successful Easter Egg Hunt at The Farm!!

 

Missionary Monday....Part 2....

 

A few more photos arrived in our email this morning... I loved them all!!

Missionary Monday

Elder Jones and Elder Von Allmen... dear friends..."Brothers"

Last week The Missionary Boy told us that his zone had gotten

special permission to go to a place in England where the Mormon.org

campaign started... He was sooooo excited!

 

Another thing that makes the Missionary Boy very happy.... Elder Von Allmen.

  He calls him his "Son" because he trained when he was a new missionary.

  He is a wonderful young man from Switzerland. They are again in the same Zone...and The Missionary Boy is really happy about that! These pictures came from Elder Von Allmen's mom...

who has also become a very dear friend...

...to me!

Thank you Uli!!

When The Easter Egg Hunt Doesn't Go Your Way....

 

When you are 3...it isn't a good thing when you open your Easter Egg and you find a rock!

  In fact...it makes you pretty mad...and you say things you might regret...like...

"The Easter Bunny Lied!!!"

"I have NOT been a bad girl!!!"

BUT...rocks instead of candy...inside Easter Eggs...often happens when

 the older cousins find the Easter Eggs...BEFORE...the Hunt begins.

 

 

And this is what it looks like when you are registering your complaint about

 the Easter Bunny to The Farmer... who promises to have a talk to the Easter Bunny

and clear things up! It is a very traumatic thing to find a rock in your Easter Egg!!!

The Farmer's Easter Egg Hunt..

 

I know...Easter was awhile back...BUT...our lives have been a bit out of

control for awhile...so I am late posting.

 

 

Each year The Farmer hosts an Easter Egg Hunt and picnic at The Farm. It has become a very anticipated event... mostly because there is money involved!;) The eggs are hidden (this year by the farm workers... which I might add was pretty funny!)

The cousins line up...

And when the moment arrives...

 

 

They RUN into the orchards... in search of the coveted... Golden Egg!!

This year there were two Golden Eggs.. one with $$ and another with a pocket knife!

 The perfect Easter gift for a young cousin!!

Another successful Easter Egg Hunt...

For most...;)

(Some pictures were taken by The Farmer's sister...)